Poverty In America: The Struggle To Get AheadDespite the slow economic recovery, tens of millions of Americans are still struggling in poverty. They face many challenges that have only been aggravated by the recession. NPR's Pam Fessler looks at the struggles of families living in the nation's poorest city Reading, Pa., and innovative approaches in the fight against poverty in Oakland, Calif.

Special Series

Poverty In America: The Struggle To Get Ahead

NPR's Pam Fessler reports on the tens of millions of Americans still struggling in poverty.

Support group members Pamela Travis (from left), Dominique Martin, Yovanda Dixon, Shanna Chaney and Ramona Shewl hold a meeting as part of the Family Independence Initiative. The Oakland nonprofit encourages low-income families to form small groups to help each other get ahead.
Pam Fessler/NPR
hide caption

Struggling Families Lift Themselves Out Of Poverty

A worker dismantles a mattress at a recycling facility in Oakland, Calif. The material will be used to make carpet products and proceeds will help support the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County, a nonprofit that helps low-income families in Eugene, Ore.
Pam Fessler/NPR
hide caption